The best French climber Seb Bouin, although almost blind in one eye, sends the first repetition of „Panatics“ in Rodellar. Seb had a piece of metal in his eye during a car breakdown. But thank God, it could be removed and a little later Seb also removed the protective plaster and was able to repeat „Panatics“.  „Panatics“ was first ascented by the young Spaniard Jorge Daaz-Rullo Calvo in August of this year and was classified with 9b. The route itself is a 60-metre-long endurance hammer and links three routes; „Pata Negra“ 8c at the beginning, the crux of „No pain no gain“ 9a+ and ends at the belayer of „Botanics“ 8b+. Seb felt the route was more like 9a/+, but thought it was 100% his „style“. Nevertheless, he propose a downgrade to a 9a+.

„Nothing will perturb a climbing trip ! It started with a car broken on the road, continued with huge rain and wet project, to finish with a piece of metal in the eye… Yet we will be here until the end. I fell on the last move of this route on my second day. I was thinking to be able to do it with one more climbing day. Then came the rain and everything was wet. I was hoping that the route get dry quickly. Yet, it’s still wet now. I had to reorganize my betas in the wet sequences. I finaly find something ok when I got a piece of metal (quickdraw?) on my eye. I went to emergency, and specialist who remove the metal and told me to keep a patch on the eye during two days (picture 2). I tried climbing with only one eye, yet it was impossible to do 7b… I finaly decided to remove the patch for a try in Patanics, and it was the good one. About the grade question, I am thinking it can’t be 9b if I compare to my last realizations (Mamichula, Move, and La rage d’Adam). For me it feels closer to 9a/+. Yet the route is 100% my style, that’s why my opinion is to propose a downgrade to a 9a+. But it’s my opinion, and I am open to discuss with next repetitors. Now on to next projects.“

Photo: Julia Cassou